Commissioners to act on hotel tax plan
The Fayette County commissioners are expected to take action Thursday on accepting a plan that will spell out how the expected $750,000 in annual hotel tax revenue will be divvied up. The commissioners also announced they are seeking applicants to serve on the hotel tax grant board and to serve as commissioners’ appointees to the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB) board.
The grant board will decide how the proposed grant program will run.
Interested people should send a letter to Chairman Vincent Zapotosky at the courthouse in Uniontown.
Regarding the impending funding agreement, a motion was approved Tuesday to place the memorandum of understanding on Thursday’s regular meeting agenda. Per state law, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, the designated tourism promotion agency for the county, also must approve the agreement.
Zapotosky and Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites previously voted to set the wheels in motion for adoption of the 3 percent tax, and it is set to go into effect on Tuesday.
Legislation was enacted in 2000 that allowed counties to impose such a tax on hotel rooms, provided the proceeds are used for tourism and marketing of tourism sites.
Zapotosky and Vicites are advocating a plan that includes allocating 50 percent of the tax for the LHVB to be used for marketing and promotion; 25 percent for a tourism grant program for only nonprofit tourism organizations in Fayette County; and 25 percent for Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, to develop and launch a four-year degree hotel, restaurant and institutional management program.
The lower of 2 percent or $40,000 is allocated to the county treasurer’s office to collect the tax.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who voted against implementing the tax, has proposed allocating 20 percent to LHVB but no more than $150,000 and continuing with LHVB as Fayette County’s tourism promotion agency through July 1, 2009; designating 50 percent for a grant program administered by LHVB for both nonprofit and for-profit tourism entities, allowing both for marketing, advertising and capital improvements; designating 10 percent for county tourism projects and keeping 20 percent escrowed for a Fayette County Tourism Visitors Center.
Several people who spoke during a recent public meeting on the proposed agreement said the grant program should include for-profit businesses as well as non-profit organizations. Zapotosky said he would not be against allowing a for-profit business to go through a nonprofit organization for a grant.
The commissioners also will seek applications for individuals interested in seeking to serve on the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority. Board member Ross DiMarco’s term expires soon, and DiMarco has expressed a desire to seek reappointment.
Vicites said he would like the term to begin in early January, as per the Municipal Authorities Act of 1945.
In other matters, the commissioners voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion for the human resource department to develop a policy to direct a department head to report any absence of work – either sick days, vacation or prolonged absence – and to spell out compensatory and flex time.
Although Zimmerlink said an absence policy was previously developed, Vicites said a procedure for calling in was “scrapped.”
Zimmerlink argued that development of such a policy was an administrative function that didn’t require board action, but Zapotosky said he wants to hold department heads accountable.
“It’s a good check and balance,” Zapotosky said.
Vicites said having such a policy would be more efficient, so commissioners would know if a department head is in when calls are made to them.
Domenick Carnicella, the county’s human resource director through Felice Associates of Greensburg, said a few of the department heads call or e-mail him when they will be off, but to his knowledge, there is no formal policy.
The commissioners voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to advertise for bids for the repair/replacement of certain concrete sidewalks at the Fayette County Mental Health/ Mental Retardation building in the Fayette County Business Park.
Lisa Ferris-Kusniar, MH/ MR director, said the building is three years old and there is “a lot of erosion” in front of the building. She said she has learned that a lower grade of concrete was used in the construction of the sidewalks for the building, and it could cost more than $10,000 to make repairs. The building project cost more than $3 million.
“You get what you pay for,” Zapotosky said.
herald_standa477:
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19801027